Chapter 65: Carver Hysterm

“My, my, isn’t this little Will? No matter how rebellious you are, you still follow Father’s orders and show up obediently, don’t you?”

Hearing this voice, Will instinctively shuddered, nearly dropping his glass.

From a distance, a man with gold-rimmed glasses slowly approached him.

Carver Hysterm, the current head of the Hysterm family.

Although Will had spent his fourteen years in the Hysterm family’s remote estate living as if he didn’t have a father, he had met this biological and nominal father a few times.

Carver wore a striking white suit, his golden shoulder-length hair giving him a refined and cultured appearance. He exuded the air of a seasoned businessman, and despite being the father of five children, he looked far younger than his years. If he hadn’t publicly claimed that the death of Will’s mother had deeply affected him and driven him to focus solely on his career, Will suspected he’d have several more stepmothers and half-siblings by now.

Will had always felt that the Hysterm family’s strange reputation was inseparable from this man.

Carver was not a good father.

But his success stories were countless—so much so that you could buy three different books about him on the street:

– The Adventures of Carver Hysterm—detailing the exploits of the first adventuring party he led, “Polaris,” which reached legendary status.
– Carver Hysterm’s Business Logic—a guide to his commercial success after retiring from adventuring and becoming the head of the Hysterm family.
– Carver Hysterm and His Women—a scandalous, risqué account of his romantic escapades as a dashing nobleman.

“And why wouldn’t I listen to you? You’d probably kill me if I didn’t.”

Counting his past life, Will figured he wasn’t much younger than the man in front of him.

But he couldn’t deny that Carver intimidated him. From the first time they met, he had sensed an unfathomable depth to this man. Despite being just a “background figure” in the original story—a mere support character for the villainous young master—Carver had an air of mystery that made him hard to read.

“Why would I do that? You’re my most cherished son—at least, that’s what everyone believes, isn’t it?”

Carver bent down slightly, clinking his glass of deep red wine against Will’s glass of orange juice.

Through the orange juice and wine, Will could see the deep blue eyes they shared, hiding something enigmatic.

This man…

Was impossible to see through.

“The staff I sent you, and the gold coins—how are they? Useful?”

“Hmph, that’s all you sent me? You didn’t even consider how to heal my hand faster so I could take the practical exam sooner?”

Will stretched out his hand, childishly showing him the scars left from the burn.

“Oh, you’re right. I should’ve thought of that. For injuries like these, the blood of an Ice Demon would’ve worked. But it’s not easy to acquire—after all, the dungeon that produces it recently entered its upper-layer exploration phase. Few people are skilled enough to clear it.”

How precise.

S had indeed used Ice Demon blood. It was possible… that Carver had been involved in that challenging dungeon expedition.

But…

For Carver to immediately recognize the nature of his scars and suggest a treatment method?

Of course…

Although Carver now appeared as a successful businessman, he had once led an adventuring party and explored dungeons himself.

So, this guy had deliberately let him endure such pain, hadn’t he?

“Besides, didn’t I pull some strings to get you into the elite class? There was no need to rush for the practical exam.”

Hearing this, Will felt a surge of irritation. He had nearly died because of that situation, and here Carver was, telling him not to rush.

It was perfectly in line with Will’s long-standing impression of his father.

“Sometimes, I wonder if I’m even your biological son.”

“Oh, of course, you are. Just look at our glasses. Your nearsightedness is clearly inherited from me—how much more proof do you need, little Will?”

So my nearsightedness came from you?

Why does genetics have to work so reliably in such trivial matters?

“Anyway, if you’ve called me here, it can’t be for anything good. You must have some scheme to screw me over.”

Will clinked his glass against Carver’s in a show of reluctant respect, his tone laced with discontent.

He observed Carver’s expression.

For years, Will had maintained the persona of a rebellious son, playing the role of a teenager resentful of his father’s neglect. It was a calculated act to extract compensation from Carver whenever he needed it.

He would feign anger at Carver’s lack of attention, deliberately do the opposite of what Carver expected, and even argue with him just to assert his independence.

It was a classic trope—a fourteen-year-old young master from a noble family, deprived of both maternal and paternal love, acting out in a Western fantasy setting.

Carver never seemed to mind.

Will couldn’t decipher Carver’s thoughts, but Carver had never changed his behavior in response to Will’s tantrums or rebellion.

Despite publicly claiming to love Will’s deceased mother the most, Carver remained distant and indifferent toward Will.

This man was the epitome of insincerity.

Although Will disliked him…

From a pragmatic standpoint, he didn’t mind interacting with Carver and even hoped to have more conversations with him.

Carver gave off an unsettling vibe.

If he had been a stereotypical sleazy merchant or a grizzled older man with a beard, it would’ve been easier to dismiss him. But dressed in his flamboyant white suit, he resembled a high-level villain.

From the perspective of someone “outside the story”…

Carver seemed like a key behind-the-scenes antagonist—someone originally planned for the story but never introduced.

“Screw you over? Why would I do that?”

Carver casually picked up a dessert from the table behind Will, clearly pleased with himself.

“Didn’t you just hear everything? That Branton boy talked your ear off and gave you all the information you needed.”

“You’re not talking about the half-elf fiancée, are you?”

“Exactly. A half-elf. Elves are incredibly rare, with their noble and beautiful bloodlines, yet they remain secluded. A half-elf princess would be a highly sought-after match.”

“Uh… you’ve probably slept with plenty of actual elves. What gives you the right to lecture me about their rarity?”

“Hmm? Is that from one of those street-corner pamphlets? I don’t recall any of that.”

“Uh… well…”

Crap. Did I just out myself as someone who’s read those scandalous pamphlets about his romantic escapades?

Realizing the conversation was veering off course, Will quickly redirected it.

“But… marrying into the royal family and giving me a half-elf wife… that’s so unlike you, Carver. What are you up to?”

“Hmm? Why is it unlike me?”

“I thought the Hysterm family wouldn’t stoop to currying favor with the royal family. After all, you don’t even respect their titles.”

Though it wasn’t part of his plan or tasks…

Will couldn’t pass up the rare opportunity to probe this enigmatic father of his.

“Besides, you don’t even like me. A chance to marry into the royal family—why would it fall to me?”

“Why don’t you tell me what my style is?”

“Your style would be to oppose the royal family. And even if you had to take this step… you’d align with the strongest faction and choose one of my stronger brothers for the marriage.”

“Hmm… it seems you don’t understand the Hysterm family or me very well…”

Before Carver could finish, the previously quiet banquet hall grew noisy.

“She’s here, she’s here.”

“The star of the banquet has arrived.”

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen Princess Treya.”

“I heard she’s been focusing on her swordsmanship and hasn’t appeared in public much.”

“Speaking of which, she’s never demonstrated her sword skills in front of an audience before.”

“Look, there she is—still as beautiful as ever.”

Treya entered from the second-floor entrance, looking completely different from how she had appeared in the training grounds.

She wore a pristine white gown paired with white stockings and crystal shoes. Her previously loose hair was now styled into partial braids, adorned with light blue ribbons that cascaded gently down.

As she descended the spiral staircase step by step, the sound of her crystal shoes tapping against the stairs was so clear it could be heard even amidst the chatter.

With her silver hair and white attire, Treya looked like a divine being, radiating an unblemished light.

Her cold demeanor made her stand out in the banquet’s atmosphere, which was steeped in materialism and pretense.

Even standing among the crowd, it was unlikely anyone would dare approach her.

—Beside her, Eugenie seemed rather plain.

Her striking red curls and pure black dress, paired with thigh-high black stockings, made her look bulkier compared to Treya—perhaps a result of her years of dungeon training.

While Eugenie was widely regarded as a beautiful princess, she paled in comparison to Treya, who seemed flawless in every way.

“Now that they’re here, ‘that person’ shouldn’t be far behind,” Carver suddenly remarked.

“How lively. Eugenie, take smaller steps. This is a formal occasion, not a dungeon raid. Stop rushing around like that.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Will’s gaze shifted to the most distinguished figure in the room: the current queen, Anna.

Dressed in regal purple, her fiery red hair stood out, and her long gown trailed elegantly behind her as she followed Treya and Eugenie into the hall.

Looking at her, Will couldn’t help but recall a question he had when reading the original story: Was the king naturally bald? How else could all nine children inherit their mother’s hair color with none of his genes in sight?

As the queen spoke, the nobles, who had been whispering among themselves, fell silent and turned their attention to her.

She descended the staircase, her gaze landing on Carver.

“The girls’ intricate makeup took a bit of time. Mr. Hysterm, when do you think we should announce the news? Should we wait for the banquet’s atmosphere to deepen?”

Carver raised his glass, as if responding to her.

“Since everyone’s here, why not now?”

It was coming—it was finally coming—

The moment everyone had been waiting for: the announcement of the engagement!